Nearly Surrounded by Water – Part III

Continuing from the previous post regarding the surrounding of the Land Southward by water, or the sea, as both Mormon and Jacob state, but to which Joe V. Anderson of BMAF in his article: “Nearly Surrounded by Water”: An Analysis of What Mormon Meant and What He Did Not Mean.”

The boundary between towns, cities, and states is often just an imaginary line in the ground, such as this border between New Mexico and Arizona

It should also be kept in mind that the two major lands masses of the Land of Promise, ie., the Land Southward and the Land Northward, were north and south of one another. Contrary to Anderson’s theory, Mormon tells us there was a line in between these two lands (a border), with the Land of Desolation to the north and the Land of Bountiful to the south (Alma 22:31-32). The line was in between, since it ran from the east to the West Sea and the small neck it crossed was oriented north and south from the Land Southward into the Land Northward (Alma 63:5). Since the narrow neck of land led into the Land Northward, it must have been of sufficient length to effectively separate the Land Northward from the Land Southward.

The separation of the land is shown here in this depiction of the Land of Promise before the Andes Mountains rose and the destruction during the crucifixion took place

In addition, it should also be kept in mind that through this small or narrow neck, which was the only connection between the Land Northward from the Land Southward, ran the narrow pass or passage, which led by the sea into the Land Northward (Alma 50:34). This pass led from the Land Northward into the Land Southward (Mormon 2:29; 3:5). In this Anderson claims that some think this small neck divides the two major land masses, but Mormon makes it clear that “there being a small neck of land between the land northward and the land southward” (Alma 33:32), thus the small or narrow neck did not separate the two lands, but separated them.
    Still not finished, Anderson adds: “Mormon’s use of the word “water” instead of “sea” is indicative that he was not thinking of, or “hopefully believing,” that they were on an “isle of the sea.” The definition of “sea” in the 1828 Webster’s dictionary helps readers understand that a sea was viewed as a branch of the ocean and on the same level—and of course not fresh water.”
    Again, let us take a look at the 1828 dictionary of the words Anderson claims means something other than what they did. The word “waters” means “The ocean; a sea; a lake; a river; any great collection of water; as in the phrases, to go by water to travel by water,” also “the great reservoirs of water on the globe are the ocean, seas and lakes, which cover more than three fifths of its surface.”
    Thus, his argument that Mormon in using the term “waters” did not mean “sea,” is baseless, and totally misleading and mis-characterizing Mormon’s meaning.

However, Webster’s 1828 meaning is clear, and exposes Anderson’s falseness and discredits his remark. After all, the use of “waters” does not suggest the opposite of using the word “sea,” but in this case actually means the same thing. As an example of one such definition of “water,” which is “The vast body of water which covers more than three fifths of the surface of the globe, called also the sea, or great sea,” and “A large body of water, nearly inclosed by land, as the Baltic or the Mediterranean; as the sea of Azof. Seas are properly branches of the ocean, and upon the same level.” Thus, Webster’s comment: “Water pertains to the main or great sea; as the ocean wave; ocean stream,” showing that there is little difference between sea and ocean.
    On the other hand, “Large bodies of water inland, and situated above the level of the ocean, are lakes. The appellation of sea, given to the Caspian lake, is an exception, and not very correct. So the lake of Galilee is called a sea, from the Greek. However, Luke in the New Testament called Galilee “Lake Gennesaret.”

The line between the Land Northward and the Land Southward (Alma:22:32) was somewhere along the narrow neck of land between the two major land masses—the exact location is unknown but Mormon tells us “on the line Bountiful and the land Desolation, from the east to the west sea”

 

Anderson adds: “Therefore, a sea, a river, and/or a lake or any combination of them could have been a part of the waters that nearly surrounded the land of Nephi and the land of Zarahemla.” Again, this is disingenuous since it presupposes that any body of water or bodies of water was meant, such as in Helaman 3:8, talking about expanding from sea to sea, meant from lake to lake, or from river to river, etc. We know, as an example, that the Nephite Sea West was an ocean over which Nephi sailed his ship and landed upon its shores. We know that the Sea East was an extended sea along the eastern coast of the Land of Promise, since it is identified both in the Land of Nephi (Alma 22:27), and ran from the Land of Zarahemla (Alma 22:28) clear to the far south where Lehi landed (Alma 22:28), and the eastern settlements in the overall Land of Zarahemla (Alma 50:13) from the south near the Lamanite land of Nephi to the far north of the Land of Bountiful (Alma 51:22,25,26).
    We also know that the West Sea stretched from the far south where Lehi landed northward to the narrow neck of land separating the Land southward from the Land Northward where Hagoth built his ships (Alma 63:5). We also know there was a sea to the south of the Land of Nephi (Helaman 3:8) and a sea to the north of the Land Northward, referred to as the Sea North (Helaman 3:8) and Ripliancum (Ether 15:8).
    Now with all these seas, and their length, it seems foolhardy to try and suggest that these were a combination of lakes and rivers, thus rendering Anderson’s comment “Mormon clearly understood that the land of Nephi and the land of Zarahemla were not completely surrounded by water, let alone by a sea,” unquestionably without merit.
    Anderson goes on to say: “The Book of Mormon does not give any information directly about any sea or water boundary south of the narrow strip of wilderness.” However, Mormon tells us differently, “and thus the land of Nephi and the land of Zarahemla were nearly surrounded by water, there being a small neck of land between the land northward and the land southward” (Alma 22:32).
    After all, one cannot simply ignore a statement about the land’s terrain, shape and placement when Mormon tells us something else, no matter how much it disagrees with one’s model. “Nearly surrounded,” as stated earlier means “closely, almost, within a little.” In addition, the words “nearly surrounded” has need of some device, land mass, or other reason why it is not completely surrounded. And Mormon gives it to us in the same sentence. ”…nearly surrounded by water, there being a small neck of land…” is actually quite clear. The Land of Nephi and the Land of Zarahemla were completely surrounded by water except for a small neck of land.

The Land Southward (Nephi and Zarahemla lands) were nearly surrounded by water except for a small neck of land

However, Mormon makes it quite clear that the Land of Nephi was nearly surrounded by water, which means there was water all around that land (Land Southward), except for a small neck of land—with that neck of land being between the Land Southward and the Land Northward (Alma 22:32).
    Thus, one cannot wonder why Anderson insists upon saying there is no indication of The Book of Mormon does not give any information directly about any sea or water boundary south of the narrow strip of wilderness—after all, south of the narrow strip of wilderness is the Land of Nephi, which earlier we find ran from the sea east to the sea west, which is made clear by Mormon’s description of the Land of Nephi: “the [Lamanite] king sent a proclamation throughout all the land, amongst all his people who were in all his land, who were in all the regions round about, which was bordering even to the sea, on the east and on the west, and which was divided from the land of Zarahemla by a narrow strip of wilderness” (Alma 22:27, emphasis added), which ran from the sea east even to the sea west.
    In addition to there being a sea on the west and the east along the Land  of Nephi, we also find that there was a Sea South (Helaman 3:8). Thus, for Anderson to say “The Book of Mormon does not give any information directly about any sea or water boundary south of the narrow strip of wilderness” is completely without merit, and is fallacious, disingenuous and totally misleading.
    Obviously, Mormon’s comments are clear that the Land Southward was surrounded by water except for the mall neck of land.